Mommy Voices: Normalizing Pedophilia-like Behavior? I Don’t Think So.

By Kate Agliata:

Recently, a group of activists called B4U-ACT sponsored a controversial conference aiming to (for lack of better words) normalize Pedophilia.  The conference, which took place in Baltimore, was held in an effort to convince the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to alter its definition of Pedophilia, as well as any information pertaining to Pedophilia within the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In fact, if you want to take it one step further, the main goal of B4U-ACT is to promote more compassion and sensitivity for what they term, “Minor Attracted Persons” (otherwise known as the sicko down the street who wants to have sex with your 5-year-old).

According to the APA, any adult who sexually molests children is considered to have Pedophilia, a mental disorder. In the APA’s most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the APA states that an “adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior.” Agreed, 100 percent, right? The group B4U-ACT however, believes that pedophiles and adults attracted to minors alike, should not be considered abnormal, and don’t deserve to be demoralized by our society. In other words, they feel that this type of sexual behavior should be, well, considered natural to some, and therefore perfectly normal.

I know! What?! Look, don’t get me wrong, if you’re an adult who is attracted to minors, and you never physically act on your impulses, (this includes indulging in viewing child pornography (ack!)) I don’t think you should be thrown in the big house. I do however, see that there is significant reason for concern, and strongly agree that anyone suffering from this level of mental illness should benefit from proper mental health treatment. However, if you are an adult who is attracted to minors and you choose to avoid help, and then you also choose to act upon your corrupt state of mind, don’t you dare come crawling around asking to be protected by the umbrella of our country’s mental health policies.

I truly believe the steps being taken by B4U-ACT are part of a larger ploy to begin the process of desensitizing our society to the unimaginable sexual tendencies experienced by adults attracted to minors. Pedophile or not, adults who feel attracted to minors are suffering from the effects of a mental health illness, and are therefore prone to very abnormal behavior. Attempting to alter society’s views of this as being unnatural gains no progress for anyone associated with such a mental illness. Trying to convince the APA, among others, that adults who are attracted to minors are normal, only deters someone in that position from realizing their symptoms are truly abnormal and that they are suffering from mental illness. There in effect, promoting the normalcy of adults being attracted to minors ultimately prevents those suffering from such a mental illness from reaching out and benefiting from the mental health therapy they so desperately need.

To the American Psychiatric Association: Stop wasting your time considering the demands of those fighting for the normalization of criminal activity. Instead, stick to your guns, and continue acting in the interest of those in need of mental health therapy- No matter if they choose it before committing a sexual crime against a child, or are forced to receive it from within the cold, concrete walls of prison. The bottom line remains the same, any sexual encounter between an adult and child, regardless of fantasy versus actual occurrence, should never even come close to being considered normal behavior.